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•“Michael Hinton embodies a life of drumming and percussion on a daily basis and is a constant source of inspiration.”

•Mickey Hart; curator to the music archives of The Smithsonian Institution and The Library of Congress; drummer for The Grateful Dead.

 Michael attended the Juilliard School on scholarship as a student of the renowned Saul Goodman where he received his Masters Degree in Music. Previous to that Michael was a student of Roland Kohloff: Solo Timpanist New York Philharmonic.

•His  recordings include Japanese Drumming Group KODO, Jewel, and The Coors. Michael also toured with Andrea Bocelli.  He is a lifelong Grateful Dead Family Member and has performed numerous shows and projects with them.  He was an interim member of Jefferson Airplane instead of his sophomore year of high school and before joining the San Francisco Symphony, Ballet and Opera Orchestras; prior to coming to New York to study at The Juilliard School.  

 He has been a member of The New York Symphonic Ensemble for twenty years, and spent twelve years as a member of Liza Minnelli's touring band in the 80's traveling throughout Europe, Africa the Americas and South East Asia. He has also performed with Sammy Davis Jr. Frank Sinatra and a hundred other artists.  

•Michael has since spent thirty continuous years performing in Broadway Shows on Broadway NYC including "Miss Saigon", "Les Miserable’s", "Dream Girls", "West Side Story", "Song and Dance", and “On a Twentieth Century". " The Act", "Singin in the Rain", "Sweeny Todd", "Nine", "Tap Dance Kid", "Man of La Mancha", "Phantom of the Opera", "Beauty and the Beast", "South Pacific", "There Playin’ our Song", "Three Penny Opera",  "Can-Can, and others.  He has also perfomed  frequently at Carnegie Hall, The Today Show, David Letterman Show, and for uncountable commercial projects in New York. (Jingles, Film scores)

Michael has appeared in The Barnum-Bailey Circus, Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet Orchestra, Jeoffrey Ballet, D’Oyly Carte Opera and as an orchestra member of The Royal Shakespeare Company.

Mr. Hinton along with colleagues Ben Herman and Charles Descarfino was selected to be drummer to Pope Benedict on his American Tour,  Including the appearance of Pope Benedict at Yankee Stadium in New York.  •His favorite musical collaboration is his piano/xylophone-Percussion duo with his daughter Miyuki. And encouragement to his son Yoshi's song writing talents. 

•Currently he is an Afro-Cuban music devotee and lifelong student towards the goal of becoming a rumbero.Michael has performed and recorded with Giovanni Hidalgo, Airto Moriera

Regarding his years in Jewish Music including that of Mordechai Ben David, Avram Fried  Schlomo Carlbach and Yossi Piamenta and others, Michael says, "I am grateful to included in  these genuine cultural rituals. It enriches and informs my musical life beyond measure."

In addition to his teaching practice, Michael currently leads his band "Foreign Exchange" his first venture as a jazz pianist.

• Michael Hinton is the founder of Gradus ad Parnassum School /New Jersey Drum School Inc. (Since November 2001)

 •“Michael Hinton is musical poetry in motion.  His depth of musical sensitivity is incomparable among percussionists worldwide.  He is truly one of our treasures."  j.rimberg